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Original poster

Email from random saying they know my password AND THEY DO. What next?!

104 replies

Reastie · 10/04/2020 09:53

I’ve just had an email (unopened, just say the notification) saying they know my password and then wrote it and it is one of the old passwords I used to use. Presumably they have hacked into a site somewhere where I used it as a password. It’s no longer a password for any banking or money or email or work sites but may be log in for older shopping accounts etc I have set up before arranging a more fail safe individual password for each site with cloud chain.

The notification then said Andrew I have seen you through your webcam watch xxx porn...’ and then the notification stopped and I haven’t clicked on the email.

This isn’t the case because I’m the only one who uses my phone and iPad where I’m logged into email and I haven’t done this. Presumably they’re trying to scare someone that they have footage of them watching porn (which I have no fear of as it’s not happened). The password thing does scare me though. Should I be worried? Should I delete without reading? Is there anything I should do to secure myself more than I am?

OP posts:
Original poster
Reastie · 10/04/2020 09:55

I don’t know why Andrew came up, I don’t even know an Andrew! It said ‘I know.... . Silly typo!

OP posts:
slipperywhensparticus · 10/04/2020 09:55

Its a scam

Delete the email

Run an antivirus scan

Change your passwords

Original poster
Reastie · 10/04/2020 09:56

I have an apple, they said I don’t need antivirus (?!)

OP posts:
Quarantino · 10/04/2020 09:57

Put your email address in here haveibeenpwned.com/

to see where they might have gotten your password from. (Feel free to Google the site name to check legitimacy! )

Don't worry about the threats, theyre nonsense, just fishing.

Change your passwords on everything.

PhilipJennings · 10/04/2020 09:57

It does sound like a phishing scam.

The first thing I would do if I were you is set up a SpyCloud account. SpyCloud tells you when your data or passwords have been stolen and you can see what passwords are in the public domain. If nothing on there is a password you still use, then you should not need to take any further action except block and ignore. The leaked information is all they have on you, and they're just trying to scare you in hopes of making a quick buck.

ShowOfHands · 10/04/2020 09:58

This was incredibly common a while ago. The email goes on to say they have footage of you enjoying adult sites and unless you pay them, they'll send it to your friends/family. Often the email looks like it comes from you too.

Delete it, change all your passwords as a precaution but it is extremely common and a money making exercise.

Quarantino · 10/04/2020 09:58

Oh and maybe research anti-virus software for Apple..

HeffalumpsCantDance · 10/04/2020 09:58

I get them every now and then, I do what slippery said. No further consequences. No one in my house has watched porn online.

NecklessMumster · 10/04/2020 09:58

I had this, I just deleted it and changed some passwords

PurplePonderer · 10/04/2020 09:58

As above. Nasty scam. Change your passwords asap, do a virus scan (oh the irony) and then forget about it. From now on try to use unique passwords.

igglu · 10/04/2020 10:00

I had the same email yesterday, except they got the password wrong. It was a good guess though, so they must have some data that they use to create these passwords in the hope that they're right with some of them.

As I've never visited a porn site it is definitely a scam so just delete it. It's not nice though and I can imagine it causing a few sleep nights for some people.

WrinklesShminkles · 10/04/2020 10:00

It's bullshit. Some old data has been hacked/bought and they're trying it on. I got the same and nothing happened when I ignored it. If they really had current information they'd have already used it against you.

BinkySodPlop · 10/04/2020 10:02

First of all, check the "Have I been pwned?" website. Put your email address(es) in, and it will cross check with known data breaches and let you know which accounts have been involved. Change the passwords on all of these immediately.

If you are 100% sure there is nothing to be gained from the old password, you could report the sender details to Action Fraud, but they have pretty much closed down during lockdown. Otherwise delete it without opening.

EL8888 · 10/04/2020 10:04

Yep l got the exact same one last night. Claimed they knew my password and stated it. Yeah it was the right password 5+ years ago!

YinuCeatleAyru · 10/04/2020 10:06

they obviously don't have any footage, but so much of the internet is porn that the chances are that if they hack a legit site and steal a list of 10,000 passwords and email those 10,000 people, more than 5,000 of those will be people who have used online porn and probably 1,000 or so will be dense enough to believe the scam and some of them will go along with being blackmailed.

Pineappletree33 · 10/04/2020 10:07

It’s a scam. I had one of these emails multiple times over a year or so. I just ignored.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 10/04/2020 10:08

It's a scam. Mine said they knew it was my facebook PW and that they watched me watching porn. I don't have FB, I don't watch porn and my camera is taped over.

Relax.

Don't use that PW anymore.

user246854 · 10/04/2020 10:08

I got a email saying the same last night but from a Marijn, password was wrong though (just s long line of numbers)

It was telling me to send $1900 Grin

I've just ignored it

anyoneforbingo · 10/04/2020 10:09

Definitely a scam, I've been getting the same email several times a month for about 6 months now. Just delete it.

Pinkpeone1 · 10/04/2020 10:21

I got the same one last night! Password was probably one I used for an ocado account 5 years ago... nothing for a sensitive account like a bank.

Zaphodsotherhead · 10/04/2020 10:23

This is incredibly common. I got it about a year ago, they'd got a password I used for a shopping site about three years ago and haven't used since, so wherever they bought their info from it was a long time ago!

I've never watched porn on my laptop and they were trying to blackmail me into paying them in Bitcoins to stop them releasing a video of me that they clearly didn't have.

Ignore, delete and change your passwords.

Rubychard · 10/04/2020 10:25

I've had this before. Im sure my details were obtained during the mumsnet hack a few years ago.

UpperLowercaseSymbolNumber · 10/04/2020 10:28

I also got this email Yesterday. The password might have been one I used for something inconsequential years ago I don’t know. I just deleted it.

Rollercoaster1920 · 10/04/2020 10:28

I had that 6 months ago. Was from the linkedin hack. The website above is useful.

Change passwords and move on. Although I get a lot more junk mail now that email is on a list.